Monday, September 22, 2008

A blog I absolutely love Farm Fresh Jessica takes part in this meme. I think it's wonderful! If you want to take part too, just surf on over to The Simple Woman and she'll tell you all about it! Here's my Daybook for today:

Outside My Window...the sun is shining and my dogs are romping aroundI am thinking...about our appointment at the bone marrow transplant center tomorrowI am thankful for...my family!!From the kitchen...I keep looking for the cooking fairy but she's not there so I guess I'm gonna have to go figure out something for dinnerI am wearing...black pants and a multicolor comfy top but I'm getting ready to go put on some sweatsI am creating...ideas for my scrapbooking bible study page that I need to work on during our Friday night meetingI am reading...Twilight...againI am hoping...that the news tomorrow is amazing and that we are able to attack this cancer and put it way behind us!!I am hearing...SwimBoy watching TV, CarGuy puttering around the porch, and Peanut & Perdy playingAround the house...laundry to fold, mail to sort, vacuuming to do, dishwasher to unload, garden to tend, and family to love onOne of my favorite things...garlic macadamias!! (Thanks for bringing those in Ms. T!)A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Finish up the uniform order for the restaurant, shred and freeze zucchini, jar up some pickles, attend choir practice, go to my scrapbooking bible study, and shop for fabric for the halloween costumes at work.

Here is my "picture thought" I am sharing...

I still can't understand how those cute little baby feet turned into these size 13 flippers that SwimBoy walks around on!! Don't worry, I've apologized for giving him the DNA for finger-toes although they do come in handy when you drop stuff!

If you decide to participate, leave me a comment so I can come check out your Daybook!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Hi everyone! Today was chemo and while we hoped it would get done in one day, that was not to be. CarGuy had the very same reaction to the first drug as he did the last time but it was not even as close to as severe as it was before. I guess he's getting that mouse protein built up although I haven't heard him squeak yet!! ;-) We were there at 9:15 this morning for both an appointment with his doctor and for the chemo. We finally made it home around 5:00. Quite a long day for both of us! His reaction started about 2 hours into the infusion (nearly exactly like before) and once they were able to start it back up he went along great with no problems. He actually kept laughing because he couldn't stop shivering -- I'm sort of surprised we didn't get kicked out for all the commotion we were causing! His laughing started my giggling and as the ladies who went to retreat last year know once I start it's hard to stop me! But, really, that was all the girl in the bunk above mine's fault last year not mine and today was all CarGuy's fault so really I'm not as disruptive as everyone thinks I am!! ;-)~ I just hang out with the wrong crowds!

We get to hang out with nurses again tomorrow morning!! Actually, they are the greatest people and stay so upbeat and nice. I really love them!!!

He has another appointment to see how his levels are doing in 2 weeks. His WBC levels did not improve but they didn't get any worse either. His platelets are doing better and his hemoglobin is better as well. They are considering removing his spleen and will make that decision when they see how he does after this treatment. Our insurance has approved the Rocky Mountain Cancer Center for the bone marrow transplant assessment so we are going to make an appointment with them sooner rather than later.

Speaking of our insurance....I do have some icky news on that front and that also leads me to a big prayer request. Our co-pay for each chemo treatment is over $4,000 -- yes, that is a 4 with 3 zeros! We have awesome insurance so I have no idea how people without that luxury handle this. Our maximum out of pocket is $5,000 so after we've spent that, everything else (chemo, hospitalizations, surgery, doctors for all of us, prescriptions for all of us, anything) is paid 100% for the rest of the year. We are already at about $900 this year so the hospital and chemo have brought us to that maximum. We are applying for some co-pay assistance money from the Leukemia Society to help. They have $5,000 in co-pay assistance they can award so that will take care of our expenses for this year. Our local chapter also has $500 a year they can award that you can use for anything you need. That will come in handy for all the gatoraid I've been having to buy! ;-) CarGuy has to drink about 2 gallons of fluid a day for the first 5 days after chemo to flush the chemo and dead cancer cells out of his system. The doc wants us to try and make 1/2 of that fluid in gatoraid. So if you could pray that we are awarded that assistance money, we would so appreciate it.

We really want to thank everyone again for all your care and concern and most especially for your prayers. We serve an awesome God who is using this challenge in our lives to bring us closer to Him and to enable us to show His grace and mercy to those around us. We both are holding tightly to Paul's words in Romans 8:28 - All things work for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Well...maybe not by popular demand exactly but I do like doing it. So without any further interruption....

The zukes continue to take over the world. I think people are starting to avoid me for fear I will put a zucchini in their hands! Here's a baby just itching to be made into some yummy bread! Knock, knock...is anywhere there...The green peppers are coming along nicely. I don't think they are going to get big enough to make stuffed peppers but maybe some nice fajitas will be on the menu here shortly.The cucumbers are just about done so I'll be making some pickles soon.My tomatoes have really been a disappointment this year but so have nearly all my neighbors so I'm gonna blame it on the weather. Here's one that's red and I'll pick that one today for lunch. I tried picking some that were just starting to turn and then ripening them on the counter but I wasn't real pleased with the results. Darn Mother Nature!I'm really excited for the acorns to finish up. This is the biggest one so far.The corn is ready and I picked one this morning and cooked it in the microwave in a zip and steam bag. It was pretty tasty! I'll pick more later today and cook them on the grill. SwimBoy is mowing the grass at church so don't tell him that CarGuy and I shared the first corn -- I think he wanted the first one...shhhh.Oh, yea, and we have some corndogs too -- hehehehe -- I just crack myself up!And for the finale of this update...here is the newest member of the flower garden. I won this beautiful mum at the ladies luncheon last week for having the most unique item in my purse at my table -- Peanut's harness! Don't ask me why I have been carrying the darn thing around for nearly a month but it paid off in the end now, didn't it?

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

On Saturday I went to a women's luncheon with the ladies from my church. Part of our activities included watching a short video put out by our denomination regarding human trafficking. I was quite shocked when the video opened with the story of a an American woman abducted in Chicago while she was being interviewed for a nanny position. I knew this kind of thing happened in other countries but right here in the US? That really did bring it home and opened my eyes to the bigger problem overseas. The statistics were pretty staggering. It is estimated that each year 600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders. 80% of the number are female and 50% of those are minors! The majority are enslaved in the sex trade. A notorious center of this trade is in India. You can view this video for yourself at www.covchurch.org/humantrafficking as well as learn more about this issue and what you can do.

I'm not writing this to get you to donate to my denominations work in this area but rather just to get you thinking. Also to encourage you to let the women in your life know not to go to private homes for interviews but to stay out in the public areas.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

CarGuy's appointment went great today! His levels are getting where the doc wants to see them and he even released him to go back to work. CarGuy is really excited about that! I went back to work today and actually found it comforting to think about something other than mutant cells invading my husband's body. I know, I know, couldn't I possibly find something more comforting than work? Give me a bit and I'm sure I'll find other diversions but for now it will have to do. I'm blaming this temporary deviance in my brain on all the cleaning products in the hospital. That place is waaaayyyy clean! I guess that's a good thing for the patients but for a homey person like myself it was a bit unnerving. I kinda sorta wanted to track mud in and leave some dust bunnies in the corners. But...don't worry, I didn't -- CarGuy would have been mortified! I'm being especially nice to him right now, you know, due to the cancer thingy, so I restrained myself!

So that got my little deviant mind to thinking...I wonder if the ladies that did all the cleaning while we were there actually clean their own houses like that. I used to work at a restaurant and we had to clean the ketchup bottles outside and inside the neck down to the label as well. One day I found myself cleaning our ketchup bottle at home like that. I had to break myself of that creepy habit real quick like! CarGuy said he doesn't think they clean their house like that. I'm not so sure -- creepy habits can sneak up on you without you even realizing it! My creepiest is probably my habit of running my hands over the tops of things to dust them. I will run my hand over the top of the fire extinquisher box at work several times a day even though I know dust has not had a chance to form on top of it yet. I just can't help myself....I think I need some professional help! So that made me curious what kind of creepy cleaning habits you all have. Share so I don't feel so, well, creepy!